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Published on: December 22, 2014
[Lateral diffusion of rhodopsin in the surface membrane of rat retinal rod outer segment]
Abstract:
Isolated rat retina bleached by an intense linearly polarized light flash became dichroic with respect to the early receptor potential excited by weak polarized test flashes. Dichroism decays with the time constant ca 1 s. This means that the rod ERP is generated by the surface membrane of the outer segment. Disappearance of dichroism is due to the diffusion of rhodopsin molecules within the surface membrane. The viscosity of the membrane was found to be 6,8+/-2,1 poise, the value comparable with that determined for the rod disks in frog.
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